Protestors and Salem police presented a united front today during Salem’s third consecutive day of protests against police brutality. Police vocally supported the vigil and those attending. This marks a distinct change in relations between those protesting and the police, following two days of protests that turned violent, with flash bangs, fireworks and tear gas.
The vigil began early in the evening on Monday, June 1. Protestors took a knee on the Capitol Mall and Lieutenants from the Salem Police Department Treven Upkes and Jason VanMeter made their way to the front of the crowd. They then took a knee in honor of George Floyd along with the rest of those gathered. Lt. Upkes also read a joint statement from the Salem-Keizer NAACP and Salem Police.
This was only the beginning of police showing unity with the protestors on Monday night. After kneeling, the crowd gathered on the Capitol steps around 8 p.m. and VanMeter held a sign that read “I can’t breathe.” He also walked around chatting with protestors, which numbered around 250 at this point.
At 9 p.m., organizers asked if any African-American members of the crowd would like to share a couple words. The crowd proceeded to sit on the steps and listen. Those who choose to talk shared personal stories about the racism that they or family members faced. One urged Salem police to march alongside the protestors, as officers did in Flint, Michigan.
In between speeches, one of the organizers announced that there were reports of people in the crowd who were planning to try and instigate violence. He reminded those gathered that this was to be a peaceful event and told them to immediately report anyone who might not follow this direction.
“If you see someone in the crowd behaving in this sort of aggressive manner, please let somebody know. Do your best to maintain the peace,” the organizer told those attending.
Shortly after his announcement, people began to pass around lighters and light candles in honor of Floyd. After the speeches were complete, protestors planned to march to the new Salem police station and lay the candles down in front of the building.
The now hundreds of protestors began to march around 9:15, taking to the streets while chanting “prosecute the police,” “I can’t breathe” and “say his name, George Floyd.” The protestors were led by a single police car. Prior to the march the streets on their route had been cleared and were blocked off by officers on motorcycles.
The protest stopped briefly at the intersection of Marion and Liberty Streets, where they took a knee in honor of Floyd, again. They chanted “no justice, no peace” and then paused for a moment of silence.
After kneeling, they continued to march. The protest eventually stopped at a barricade that police had erected near the station. Protestors were met there by Upkes and VanMeter. Both officers held candles in solidarity and Upkes gave a quick speech in support, which was met by cheering and applause from the crowd.
“I want to thank you all for being here and I want to tell you that the Salem Police Department loves you all. We are this community, you are this community. We want to work together to ensure that we have equality in this city,” Upkes told those gathered.
Upkes and VanMeter encouraged protestors to place their candles along the barricade. As they did this, the two lieutenants talked and took selfies with protestors.
They then reminded the protestors that there was a curfew in effect and urged those gathered to head home following their return to the Capitol. The protestors were escorted back to the Capitol by the police car and arrived a little after 10. The members of the vigil began to chant the names of African-Americans who have been killed in recent years by armed civilians or police officers– Trayvon Martin, Tony McCade, Eric Garner, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others.
Around 10:30, one of the organizers stood up to speak. They announced that the vigil was over and urged people to leave. They reminded the protestors that those who remained were not representing the event. Finally, they urged people to pick up the trash left on the steps before departing and asked them to leave the Capitol “better than we [the protestors] found it.”
By 10:45 p.m., only 70 people remained on the steps of the Capitol. A small altercation broke out among the protestors over if they should obey the police orders or not. Most of the crowd supported compliance and remaining peaceful.
A small group decided to leave the Capitol area and a standoff between them and the police ensued around 11:20. The group was part of the protests for George Floyd, but was not affiliated with the vigil. What prompted the confrontation is unconfirmed at this point in time. The police, in riot gear for the first time all night, told them that this protest was unlawful and if they did not leave they would be arrested. Protestors did not disperse and police say that they threw objects at officers. Police fired flash bangs in their direction. The protestors ran.
A chase around the Capitol Mall followed as police attempted to arrest the small group. There were approximately 20 police vehicles involved in the chase. Police apprehended the group, but released over half of them roughly ten minutes later. At least two others from the group were handcuffed and placed in the police cars. One person was taken away from the scene in an ambulance, but the cause and nature of the injury is unknown.
After this police began to enforce the curfew, which had been in place since 8 p.m., but had remained unenforced as long as the protest remained peaceful. The police told any other protestors left downtown to head home, as well as, the armed men who have been positioned outside Glamour Salon for all of the protests.
The change in the dynamic between police and protestors came on the heels of a meeting of the Salem-Keizer branch of the NAACP, Salem’s Deputy Chief George Burke and Marion County Sheriff Joe Kast. People present at the meeting expressed hopes that the police department would be more supportive of the protests and asked for them to stand with the protestors. Both Kast and Burke echoed sentiments that they wanted to create a better dialogue with those protesting and stated that they wanted to allow people to peacefully exercise their first amendment rights.
“These protests and marches make sense. They make change, too,” Kast told the NAACP.
Protestors are expected to return to the Capitol tomorrow, by which time the State of Emergency and curfew will be lifted, unless the city elects to extend it again.
